Chapter 130: The Blood Assassins of the Ma Clan (3)

White Horse Sword Squad.

One of the Ma Clan’s most famed groups of sword specters, and among even them, they ranked within the top ten elite units.

In truth, the leader of the White Horse Sword Squad, the Red Cloud Sword Ma Cheoljung, was considerably tense upon hearing that the Blood Flow Sword Squad, their rivals, had been completely annihilated.

‘Damn it, what are we supposed to do with just our unit against someone who wiped them out?!’

The White Horse Sword Squad was evaluated as being slightly above the Blood Flow Sword Squad, but that was based merely on external achievements.

In terms of actual combat ability, there was barely any difference.

‘The information says the opponent isn’t a Peak Demonic master…’

Regardless, if the Blood Flow Sword Squad had been wiped out, it shouldn’t be him dealing with it, but at least an Elder or a higher-ranked unit from the Thirty-Four Demon Squads.

“What should we do, Squad Leader?”

“Keep our distance and observe. If we get a chance to assassinate Ma Chulsoo, that would be ideal. Otherwise, we wait patiently for an opportunity.”

Ma Cheoljung was, unlike the now-dead leader of the Blood Flow Sword Squad who’d become a coffin dweller due to arrogance, much more cautious.

That caution was one of the reasons the White Horse Sword Squad was rated higher.

However.

Today, Ma Cheoljung was simply unlucky.

Puk!

“……Huh?!”

The moment he realized that the opponent he had been tracking had sensory perception exceeding even that of a Peak Demonic master.

‘H-How?!’

In a single strike, the chest of the subordinate beside him had been pierced through.

Ma Cheoljung instinctively shouted.

“Form the White Horse Exorcising Formation!”

Regardless of whether the opponent was Peak Demonic or not, if they were on that level, they had to be dealt with accordingly.

That was the judgment Ma Cheoljung made.

However—

Before the formation could be fully deployed, a girl wielding twin swords broke into the ranks, brandishing black Sword Qi.

‘Young? No, a child!’

That was the extent of his thoughts about the enemy.

‘No—what does that even matter?!’

Young or old, seeing the quality of Sword Qi bursting out like strips of taffy, the opponent was at least in the early stage of the Demonic Master Level.

Ma Cheoljung urgently raised his internal energy to respond to her onslaught.

KWAANG!

Their swords collided with a thunderous blast that tore through the air.

As Ma Cheoljung gauged the pressure his opponent was exuding, a faint emotion flickered in his mind.

‘Manageable!’

No, more than just manageable.

‘She’s below me!’

He realized that the girl had just barely reached the Demonic Master Level realm—an early-stage amateur.

Considering her presumed age, it was indeed an astonishing achievement. But to think such a one had annihilated the entire Blood Flow Sword Squad—it made no sense.

“I’ll handle this wench! You lot, complete the sword formation in the meantime!”

“Yes, Captain!”

As the members of the White Horse Sword Squad urgently moved into their formation positions—

“Gahk!”

“Guheok!”

—they began to fall helplessly under the sudden ambush of a young man who charged in after her.

“W-What the hell?! What is that monster?!”

He didn’t wield Sword Qi as dazzling as the witch-like girl before him.

But he was even more lethal—faster, deadlier. Slashing his sword with terrifying precision, he mowed down Ma Cheoljung’s subordinates.

‘That—That bastard! He must be the mysterious sword specter who wiped out the Blood Flow Sword Squad!’

His subordinates, too, were sword specters who had endured brutal training under the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan.

And yet, they were falling one by one, unable to withstand the enemy’s assault!

‘Damn it! Was he really a rejuvenated master hiding his age all along?!’

Then, someone very familiar approached the sword specter.

‘T-That guy?!’

The moment he saw the figure, Ma Cheoljung’s expression lit up.

“It’s Ma Chulsoo! Target him!”

Even if they were all wiped out here, if they could kill Ma Chulsoo, it would be no different than a victory!

But then—

“Jin Yeomyung! Why the hell did you trip me, you bastard?!”

“……What did you just say?”

Ma Chulsoo had just uttered the name of the mysterious sword specter.

Jin Yeomyung.

There was no way a member of the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan wouldn’t know who that name belonged to.

“Wait—what? The Eldest Son of the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan? What is he doing here? No—more importantly, what the hell is that level of skill?!”

Ma Cheoljung was at a loss.

Wasn’t Jin Yeomyung the one who recently disrupted the Exchange Ceremony with the Young Cult Leader and plunged the Six Great Demonic Clans into chaos?

At that moment—

“Excuse me. Are you seriously looking away while I’m right in front of you?”

‘Ah—!’

The sharp voice of Baek Sang-ah struck his ears.

And Ma Cheoljung instantly realized he had made a fatal mistake.

‘I—I made such a blunder!’

Even if the opponent was slightly beneath him, the difference wasn’t significant.

That mistake immediately came with a deadly price.

SHHHK!

With radiant light still gleaming from her blade, Baek Sang-ah’s sword tore through Ma Cheoljung’s defensive aura and slashed diagonally across his body.

“Guh-hek!”

“Idiot.”

And just like that, Ma Cheoljung collapsed, gravely wounded by a single moment of carelessness.

“C-Captain!”

“Damn it!”

Just like the Blood Flow Sword Squad, these warriors didn’t surrender or flee, even after their leader had fallen.

They moved solely to carry out his final order—to kill Ma Chulsoo.

“Damn it… even if they’re from my own clan, they’re ruthless to the core.”

“Ma Chulsoo, you’re not going to ask me to spare them like last time, are you?”

“…I won’t say that again. Just quiet down, please.”

He had once considered sparing a few from the Blood Flow Sword Squad. That nearly got Ma Chulsoo sent across the River of Three Crossings.

“What should we do, Young Lord Jin?”

Baek Sang-ah, who had just slain the enemy commander, approached Jin Yeomyung.

“It’s the same as before.”

Currently, Jin Yeomyung had only one standard—

Until a true heavyweight appeared, all the flies had to be swatted dead.

Baek Sang-ah let out a soft sigh as she watched the members of the White Horse Sword Squad charge at her.

“Haah… I never imagined I’d be raising the banner of purging the Four Demon Squads like this.”

“When you return to your clan, you’ll have something to boast about.”

“…That’s true. If I can return, that is.”

Baek Sang-ah’s expression darkened even more.

“You will, definitely.”

“I hope you’re right.”

She knew those were empty words—but if they came from Jin Yeomyung, even those words brought her a little strength.

Baek Sang-ah began pouring that strength into cutting down the incoming White Horse Sword Squad.

And just like that, the second elite force of Ma Jeongcheon—the White Horse Sword Squad—was annihilated.

***

“So the Blood Flow Sword Squad, and now even the White Horse Sword Squad have been wiped out.”

“……”

“Fools.”

Ma Seonghwan clicked his tongue as he received Gwanghyeol’s report.

The Blood Flow Sword Squad and the White Horse Sword Squad.

They were indeed valuable assets, but with the overwhelming power of the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan, they could be replenished in no time.

The real issue was that his eldest son kept making mistake after mistake.

“I told him not to worry about the means—just get the job done. How could he handle things so indecisively?”

“What would you like to do?”

“Punishment for the eldest son will come later.”

Ma Seonghwan’s eyes gleamed sharply.

“For now, Jinyoon is the priority.”

Everything related to Ma Chulsoo was being reported to Ma Seonghwan in detail.

Including the fact that the eldest son of the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan was helping his second son.

“Jin Gun-ak… truly, that man raised his son disgustingly well.”

A faint trace of envy flickered in Ma Seonghwan’s eyes.

But that emotion vanished like a drop of water on a hot stone.

“Even so, any further interference is unacceptable.”

“Shall we take care of him?”

“Don’t kill him. In this situation, it’s not worth turning Jin Gun-ak into an enemy.”

“As you command.”

And just like that, the decision on how to handle Jin Yeomyung was finalized.

“Where is Jinyoon now?”

“He’s evading pursuit, leaving only minimal traces behind to avoid detection by the main clan.”

“…Still not caught?”

“It’s clear he’s becoming more accustomed to the energy of the Heaven-Slaying Star. Otherwise, his current actions wouldn’t make sense.”

Gwanghyeol had deployed his secret martial agents without hesitation to catch Ma Jinyoon.

But even so, they hadn’t produced any results.

“The problem is that the Young Master’s expected movement route is… a bit strange.”

“…Strange?”

Ma Seonghwan’s expression stiffened slightly, and Gwanghyeol continued.

“Yes. He keeps leaving just enough of a trail… It feels as if he’s trying to lure the Second Son somewhere.”

“A lure?”

Gwanghyeol had compiled intelligence from his subordinates.

“If my guess is right, that path leads to the Forbidden Demon Cave.”

Thud!

Ma Seonghwan, who had been relatively composed until now, suddenly shot up from his seat.

“L-Lord?”

His reaction was so intense that even Gwanghyeol looked flustered.

Ma Seonghwan’s face had gone completely blank as he opened his mouth.

“Gwanghyeol.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“I’ll go myself. Prepare for departure.”

“…!”

The Forbidden Demon Cave.

One of the most heavily restricted zones under the Heavenly Demon Cult, originally established to imprison criminals.

But there was no way the clan head of the Blood Dragon Demonic Clan would react so violently to such a mere location.

At that moment, Gwanghyeol instinctively realized something.

There was definitely something there.

Something even he—a secret martial agent—didn’t know about!

***

Even after wiping out the White Horse Sword Squad, we continued to pursue Ma Jinyoon.

“We’ve found a trace, Young Master.”

Gu Chil had gone ahead of us to track Ma Jinyoon’s location.

“But… I’ve seen some of our clan’s people lurking around too. Are you sure it’s okay?”

I understood Gu Chil’s unease.

“Don’t worry about it. They’ll only be watching.”

At this point, it was foolish to think the other Five Clans wouldn’t notice what was happening.

Since they’d only be observing, it was better to stop worrying about it altogether.

Looking at the projected path Gu Chil brought back, I fell into thought.

‘Ma Jinyoon… what the hell are you planning?’

We had thought he would die soon, with the Heaven-Slaying Star raging within him.

But instead, he was moving more actively than ever, constantly shaking off his pursuers.

‘He knows Ma Chulsoo is part of our group. But rather than joining us, he’s deliberately trying to lure us somewhere.’

The issue was, if we kept following this path, it would lead straight to the Forbidden Demon Cave—a place even members of the Six Great Clans weren’t allowed to enter.

‘If we actually enter the Forbidden Demon Cave, things will get complicated. And he should know that.’

That place was under the direct management of the Cheon Clan.

Even though I was a direct descendant, entering without permission would definitely mean punishment under the clan laws.

I bit my lip slightly.

‘It feels like Ma Jinyoon is trying to show us something. I don’t know what it is yet… but if we follow to the end, I might find out.’

Hopefully, it would be something I could handle.

Just then—

“Well now, where are you all rushing off to in such a hurry?”

An old man’s voice rang out by our ears.

Flinch!

At that voice, not just me and Baek Sang-ah, but the whole party instantly drew their weapons.

‘A master! And a tremendous one!’

No matter how distracted we were, for someone to approach this close without any of us noticing—this opponent was no ordinary man!

Instead of ordering an attack, I respectfully asked the stranger’s identity.

“May I ask who you are, elder?”

“This old one is called Cheon Jeonmun.”

The old man who appeared so suddenly calmly revealed his identity.

However—

The real issue was that his surname was “Cheon”.

More than anything, I felt a strange familiarity from that name… and unintentionally, I blurted out the name of one group.

“…Seven Elders Council?”

The Seven Elders Council

A council of elders who currently held sway over the Cheon Clan.

And most of them supported Cheon Yujeong, not Cheon Yura.

The very people responsible for igniting the internal strife within the Cheon Clan—the faction I was trying so desperately to stop.

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